THIS YEAR'S DRAFT ADDS 8TH ROUND

Don Pierson, Pro football writerCHICAGO TRIBUNE

For 1993, there will be an eight-round NFL draft instead of seven as rules from the new collective-bargaining agreement continue to evolve and change.

The "compensatory" eighth round supposedly protects teams from any net losses in free agents. In 1994, the extra 28 picks will be slotted according to a formula based on salary and tenure. A team that loses a superstar, for example, and doesn't replace him, could be awarded an extra first-round pick that comes out of the talent pool, not from the team that signs him.

But this year, because many free agents won't be signed until after the draft, an extra round was added. That means the Bears still can find a Richard Dent and a Mark Bortz in the eighth round instead of picking them up as undrafted free agents.

Exceptions Thursday: Teams have until Thursday to declare "franchise" or "transition" players as exceptions to free agency. The process is keeping owners and personnel men up late.

Clearly, most teams will not name franchise exceptions because it would cost them more than they want to spend. To exempt a player from the free-agent process, a team must pay him an average of the top five salaries at his position or a 20 percent increase, whichever is higher.

The transition exception allows a team the right of first refusal to any offer a player gets. To exercise that exception, a team must pay a player an average of the top 10 salaries at his position or a 20 percent increase.

Harbaugh, Muster debate: The Bears will have two tough choices with quarterback Jim Harbaugh and fullback Brad Muster.

Although neither figures as a franchise exception, a look at the salaries shows the Bears will have a difficult time making either of them even a transition player.

Only one franchise player can be designated per year. If the Bears designate Harbaugh, his present average salary of $1.25 million would nearly triple to $3.469 million, according to the average of the top five quarterback salaries-Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Joe Montana, Randall Cunningham and Boomer Esiason (tie) and Mark Rypien.

If the Bears decide to designate Harbaugh a transition player, his salary still would jump to $3.052 million, the average of the top 10 quarterbacks.

Likewise, if Muster were the franchise player, his average salary of $750,000 would jump to $1.496 million, an average of the top five running backs-Barry Sanders, Neal Anderson, Blair Thomas, Herschel Walker and Christian Okoye.

If Muster is designated the transition player, allowing right of first refusal, his salary would balloon to $1.271 million, the average of the top 10 running backs.

Muster got a break when the rulesmakers refused to separate halfbacks and fullbacks, as some general managers had suggested.

As a fullback, Muster's salary is only slightly under the average of the top 10 fullbacks-$831,400-so the Bears would be obligated only to pay him a 20 percent raise, up to $900,000, to designate him a transition player.

So what do the Bears do? If they decide not to designate anyone a transition player, they lose the option for 1993, when each team is allowed two transition players. In 1994, teams are allowed one transition player.

They could use one of the transition exceptions for running back Darren Lewis, who recently signed a contract extension through 1995. They could designate him now and then decide in 1995 whether Lewis is worth exercising a right of first refusal.

Could the Bears keep Muster or Harbaugh without designating either an exception? Sure. They could offer them contracts that would eliminate their desire to shop their services.

How? One way would be to offer them guaranteed contracts-take it or leave it-before other teams get into the bidding shortly after March 1.

Give and take: Clubs wanted offensive linemen and linebackers broken into separate categories for pay purposes but didn't get their wish. Players wanted defensive backs lumped together and didn't get their wish.

The salaries for centers and guards will be averaged along with the generally higher-paid tackles. Higher-paid outside linebackers will be lumped with inside linebackers. Cornerbacks and safeties will be averaged separately. There are more highly paid cornerbacks than safeties.

Can't kick: New Orleans General Manager Jim Finks said he will make free-agent placekicker Morten Andersen his transition exception. This proves Andersen is as close to a "franchise player" as a kicker can get.

At $500,000, Andersen already is in the top-five average at his position. He wants to double his salary, but the Saints will be able to either match an outside offer or get him for a 20 percent raise if there are no offers.

How will the strategy play out among rivals? Will the Saints or Rams or 49ers make Andersen an outrageous bid, bluffing the Saints into spending more?

Stay tuned: When teams attended a seminar on the new system the week before the Super Bowl, they were given a booklet with the rules. When they attended a follow-up seminar at last week's scouting combine in Indianapolis, they were given a booklet that appeared the same on the outside. But the contents were different, reflecting the fluid status of the settlement.